Enhanced personal video recorder

Abstract

A personal video recorder coupled to a server provides a capability to record one or more missed portions of a TV program. The personal video recorder provides a way for a user to record the full content of a TV program even though the personal video recorder was not activated at the beginning of the TV program. The personal video recorder is coupled through a network to a server associated with a storage system, which records the entire TV program. The user, upon deciding to record the TV program after the TV program has started, requests the personal video recorder to obtain the missed beginning portion. The personal video recorder signals the server through the network with the TV program ID and the time at which recording started. The server responds with an address and data range, which the personal video recorder uses to download the missed portion of the TV program.

1 . A personal video recording system, comprising:
 a) a storage system for recording a broadcast TV program from beginning to end;   b) a personal video recorder coupled by a network to a server;   c) said personal video recorder records said TV program starting at a point where viewing of the TV program commences;   d) a viewer of the TV program requests the personal video recorder to obtain a missed portion of the TV program;   e) the personal video recorder communicates with the server through said network to request the missed portion; and   f) the server responds to the personal video recorder with an address and range of data by which the personal video recorder uses to download through the network the missed portion of the TV program from the storage system, and stores the missed portion in the personal video recorder.   
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said network forms a part of a TV broadcasting system, whereby the personal video recorder requests from said TV broadcasting system the missed portion and receives from said TV broadcasting system the missed portion of the TV program. 
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said network is independent of a TV broadcasting system, which couples said TV program to the personal video recorder, whereby said network requests and couples the missed portion of the TV program to the video recorder. 
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said network requests the missed portion wherein the network is independent of a broadcasting system coupling said TV program to the personal video recorder and said broadcasting system couples the missed portion to the personal video recorder. 
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said network requests and downloads the missed portion through said network comprising cellular, wireless or radio networks. 
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said storage system is contained within said server. 
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said storage system is external to said server. 
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein said storage system external to said server comprises at least one storage unit. 
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein said storage system external to said server is shared with a least one additional server. 
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said missed portion of the TV program is a beginning portion of the TV program up to where recording of the TV program by the personal video recorder commences and other portions after recording of the TV program by the personal video recorder commences. 
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said missed portion of the TV program is a segment of the TV program after recording of the TV program by the personal video recorder commences. 
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein said segment has been corrupted by perturbations in the normal transmission of the broadcast of the TV program. 
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said personal video recorder is registered with the server. 
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said TV program includes all broadcast data comprising advertisements and TV program contents. 
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said address and range of data of the missed portion of the TV program allows said personal video recorder to access said missed portion through said network coupling the personal video recorder to the server. 
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said server maintains said TV program in a storage system for a period of time after a scheduled end of a broadcast of the TV program to permit completion of a downloading of any said missed portion of the TV program. 
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said personal video recorder records said TV program and any requested missed portion simultaneous to said viewer watching said TV program. 
   
   
       18 . A method of recording a complete TV program commencing after a beginning of the TV program, comprising:
 a) coupling a personal video recorder through a network to a server;   b) registering the personal video recorder with the server;   b) recording a TV program on a storage system associated with the server;   c) watching said TV program by a viewer;   d) initiating a recording the TV program on the personal video recorder;   e) determining a need to record a missed portion of the TV program;   f) requesting the personal video recorder to obtain said missed portion;   g) providing to the server through said network a program identifier and a time of the missed portion;   f) receiving from said server an address and range of requested video data representing the missed portion;   g) downloading from said storage system the missed portion of the TV program;   h) checking integrity of the missed portion downloaded from the storage system;   i) requesting a retransmission of the missed portion if the integrity check fails and returning to step g);   j) storing said missed portion of the TV program in the personal video recorder if the integrity check is good; and   k) erasing the TV program from the storage system after a predetermined amount of time beyond completion of TV program broadcast;   
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising an issuing of an erase command by a producer/broadcaster of the TV program if the TV program is maintained on the storage system beyond the predetermined amount of time beyond completion of TV program broadcast. 
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said network forms a part of a TV broadcasting system, whereby the personal video recorder requests from said TV broadcasting system the missed portion and receives from said TV broadcasting system the missed portion of the TV program. 
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said network is independent of a TV broadcasting system, which couples said TV program to the personal video recorder, whereby said network requests and couples the missed portion of the TV program to the personal video recorder. 
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said network requests the missed portion wherein the network is independent of a broadcasting system coupling said TV program to the personal video recorder and said broadcasting system couples the missed portion to the personal video recorder. 
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein requesting and downloading the missed portion is through networks comprising cellular, wireless or radio networks. 
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said storage system is integrated into said server. 
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said storage system is located external to the server. 
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein said storage system located external to the server is shared by at least two servers. 
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said missed portion of the TV program is a beginning portion of the TV program up to where recording of the TV program by the personal video recorder commences and other portions after recording of the TV program by the personal video recorder commences. 
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said missed portion of the TV program is a segment of the TV program after recording of the TV program by the personal video recorder commences. 
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein said segment has been corrupted by perturbations in the normal transmission of the broadcast of the TV program. 
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said personal video recorder is registered with said server. 
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said TV program includes all broadcast data comprising advertisements and TV program content. 
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said address and range of the requested data allows the personal video recorder to access the missed portion of the TV program through the network coupling the personal video recorder and the storage system. 
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said storage system maintains the TV program in the storage system of the server for a period of time after a scheduled end of a broadcast of the TV program to permit completion of the downloading of the missed portion. 
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said personal video recorder records the TV program and any requested missed portion simultaneous to the viewer watching the TV program. 
   
   
       35 . A TV program recording system, comprising:
 a) a means to record a TV program at a storage system associated with a server;   b) a means to record the TV program in a personal video recorder;   c) a means to request from said storage system a portion of the TV program missed by said personal video recorder; and   d) a means to download through a network said portion of the TV program missed by the personal video recorder.   
   
   
       36 . The system of  claim 35 , wherein said means to request the portion of the TV program missed by the personal video recorder comprises sending to the server through the network a program identifier and a time range of the TV program that was missed. 
   
   
       37 . The system of  claim 35 , wherein said means to download the portion of the TV program missed, further comprises:
 a) a means for requesting a missed portion of the TV program from the server by the personal video recorder;   b) a means for receiving an address and a data range from said server through a network connecting the personal video recorder and the server; and   c) a means for downloading the missed portion of the TV program from a storage system through the network simultaneous to a user viewing the TV program.   
   
   
       38 . The system of  claim 37 , wherein said network forms a part of a TV broadcasting system, whereby the personal video recorder requests from said TV broadcasting system the missed portion and receives from said TV broadcasting system the missed portion of the TV program. 
   
   
       39 . The system of  claim 37 , wherein said network is independent of a TV broadcasting system, which couples said TV program to the personal video recorder, whereby said network requests and couples the missed portion of the TV program to the personal video recorder. 
   
   
       40 . The system of  claim 37 , wherein said network requests the missed portion wherein the network is independent of a broadcasting system coupling said TV program to the personal video recorder and said broadcasting system couples the missed portion to the personal video recorder. 
   
   
       41 . The system of  claim 37 , wherein said network requests and downloads the missed portion through said network comprising cellular, wireless or radio networks. 
   
   
       42 . The system of  claim 37 , wherein said storage system is an integral part of said server. 
   
   
       43 . The system of  claim 37 , wherein said storage system is physically separate from the server. 
   
   
       44 . The system of  claim 43 , wherein said storage system is shared between at least two servers. 
   
   
       45 . The system of  claim 35 , wherein the means to record a TV program in a personal video recorder comprises recording both the TV program and the missed portion of the TV program while a user is viewing the TV program. 
   
   
       46 . The system of  claim 45 , wherein recording both the TV program and the misses portion of the TV program includes all broadcast data comprising advertisements and contents of the TV program.